Into the Dark Woods Circus
by fallendeHimmel
Summary: Gilbert Beilschmidt doesn't really know what to expect when he receives a flyer about a circus that just rolled into town, but it surely wasn't this. Based on the song from vocaloid. Warning: contains gore and violence.


**Just a oneshot I wrote after listening to Vocaloid's _Dark Woods Circus, _though I will warn you, this does go into detail, so I shall say that this is not for the light of heart. Other than that please read and enjoy.  
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**Very dark, there is gore, but I don't know what people consider to be a little or a lot, so I will leave that for you to decide.  
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**Some hinted Prucan, but you don't have to see it like that if it is not your cup of tea. The only character that is directly named is Gilbert and Ludwig, other than that it is up to your imagination if you want.  
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**I don't own Hetalia or vocaloid.**

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**_Dark Woods Circus_**

"Oh, you're here, you're here!"

A tall man stood at the center of the ring, the spotlight casting a long shadow from his already lengthy frame. He wore all black, and if not for the lone light he would be invisible in the darkness of the tent. He turned, as if meeting eyes with all of the people in the crowd around him, before continuing.

"Welcome, to the Dark Woods Circus."

-o-o-o-

A man stood alone on the busy street, having managed to accidentally lose his brother once again after being distracted by a street vendor selling some exotic food he didn't catch the name of. With a sigh he leaned against a brick wall off to the side of the crowd, running a hand through his stark white hair. "If I just wait here West will surely find me, he'll notice I'm gone soon enough." The man mumbled, closing his eyes as he slumped farther against the stones.

"Ah, you're here!" Gilbert cracked open his eyes, appraising the voice in front of him before realizing that the statement prior was directed at him. Two blonde boys stood in front of him, both smiling widely when he opened his eyes fully. The clothing they had on appeared to be right out of some circus, ruffled collars and puffy sleeves to boot. The boy on the left held a pair of balloons in his hand, violet eyes slightly downcast, like he was afraid to look him in the eyes. While the other looked to him directly, shoving a piece of paper into his hands before he could protest. It looked to be a flyer of sorts, a crude drawing of a tent on the front framed by the words "Welcome to Machigerita Circus."

He didn't even get to open his mouth before a balloon was pushed at him in much the same manner, soft hands opening up his own and interlacing the string around his fingers. "We-we hope you will come…" the timid blonde spoke almost too softly, making it hard for Gilbert to hear him.

"Huh?" the pale man leaned forward slightly to hear the quiet voice better, too shocked by the meeting to initially find anything really odd about the situation.

"Drop by and see him." The other boy stated simply, the same smile still on his face, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously before they both turned and dashed off into the crowd, leaving Gilbert to stand and gape at the space where they disappeared.

_Well that was…odd_. He looked back down at the flyer in his hands, red eyes tracing the lines of the drawing while he fingered the string of the brightly colored balloon. Why did they give this to him? There were plenty of other people around, kids even, but they gave it to him. And they sounded like they were…expecting him or something. Weird.

"East!" The sound of the familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts, both the note and balloon getting carried away by a gust of wind from between his fingers in his surprise. He tried to reach for them, but they had already floated too high above his head. With a curse he turned back towards his brother, a scowl on his face. "Where were you? I told you to stay close, but did you listen to me? Of course not, you never do." The blonde haired man threw his hands up in frustration, whilst Gilbert simply rolled his eyes, this not being his first time hearing this lecture.

"What? I'm not a baby. I am older than you thank you very much." Gilbert crossed his arms in defiance.

Ludwig huffed, knowing that none of this was getting through his brothers thick, stubborn skull. "Lets just get going already, it's getting late anyways." He sighed, turning in the direction that was home, not waiting to see if his brother followed or not.

Gilbert paused, about to walk after his brother when something caught his eye. There was set of footprints in the mud in front of him, though such a thing was hardly unusual with this weather, but what got his attention was that it looked almost red compared to the muck around it, right where the two boys had been standing earlier…

"Gilbert! Hurry up!"

"Alright alright, I'm coming!" He ran off without a second glance.

-o-o-o-

"Ludwig will kill me if he finds out I snuck out again…" Gilbert huddled farther into his overcoat, hurrying his pace in what he hopped was the right direction. He didn't even really know where this thing was, but he just did what he always did. Followed his gut feeling. At least, that was what he was hopping it was. He refused to think he was hearing voices, whispers floating to him above the bustle of the city, ringing out clear despite the noise around him.

_Deep into the forest_

He turned the corner, walking past the last few buildings on the outskirts of the town, heading into the trees of the forest surrounding. He wandered aimlessly, stepping around the large trunks and being careful not to trip over any branches, which was rather difficult in the dark mind you.

_Far far in the back that way_

He picked up his pace again, the softest sound floating to him through the trees ahead. The music grew louder as he continued walking, guiding him through the forest until he came to a clearing.

_There is a circus_

Voices came from all around him, smiling faces illuminated in the glow of strings of lights, guiding the patrons to the large red and white striped tent. No one looked at him as he emerged from the brush, oblivious to his presence as he merged with the crowd. Up ahead, standing high above the rest, a man and woman guided the people inside, their legs stretching up twenty feet before meeting the rest of their bodies.

_Man, those stilts must be hard to walk in while wearing a dress_. The woman smiled at him as he passed, gaping, her long brown hair draping over her shoulders and down her back as she turned toward the man next to her. Unlike the woman, this man wore a stoic expression, his eyes passing over the crowd with un-interest, only blushing when the woman placed a playful kiss on his cheek, leaving him flustered and stuttering, trying to push back the glasses that had slipped down his nose. Gilbert felt himself smirk at the odd couple, continuing his way towards the tent with the flow of bodies, curious as to the type of show this circus held.

_The chairman with the big eyes_

He felt like someone was watching him, their eyes boring into his back as he walked. He tried to find the source but when he turned around there was nothing, just the circus-goers continuing past him when he had stopped. _I'm just imagining things, too many people here_. With a shrug of his shoulders resumed his pace, coming up to the entrance of the large tent.

_And ten meters tall_

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow looming, filling his peripheral vision with darkness as he was about to step inside. But when he looked over, there was nothing there, only a lone carnie observing the people entering the place. He wore black from head to toe, long hair pulled back into a ponytail beneath a towering top hat. Gilbert quickly averted his eyes when the man turned to look at him, quickly ducking inside the tent. He didn't know why, but something about the person gave him the creeps, and his dark eyes did not help that feeling.

Trying to push that thought aside he looked to find a seat, the dim lighting making a bit difficult not to trip over his own feet. He picked a spot farther away from other people, which wasn't difficult seeing as most of the onlookers were pretty spread out anyways, settling himself in his seat as he waited for the show to start. "This better not blow, or I'm gonna want my money back." Gilbert grumbled to himself, watching as the last few people milled in and took their seats.

_Wait, did I even pay? No one asked me for a ticket so I guess its alright. _His attention was drawn to the center as the lights dimmed to black around him, the only light in the darkness coming from a spotlight shining at the center of the ring, all conversation stopping to see what was about to happen.

Gilbert had to hold in his gasp. The man he had glimpsed earlier was now standing in the spotlight, his voice carrying over the crowd to him with ease. The baritone voice filled up the tent, every patron drawn to the mystic undertone it carried, all eyes on its source.

"Tonight, we'll be showing the sad fate that some of this world carry," He began, another spotlight turning towards a curtained doorway as he spoke, "children that God has abandoned, restlessly creeping out." The red velvet parted to show a trembling blonde boy, he couldn't be more than a child, whimpering as the man stepped forward. "Children who can't even carry the trembling limbs they were born with." The ringmaster grabbed the child by the forearm, dragging the struggling boy back to the center of the ring. He threw the boy on the ground, smiling when it earned him a mangled cry. "Their shaking tongues even accidentally cry out." In the new light they could better see the terrified face of the child, tears seaming down the side of his face where only one eye remained.

Gilbert looked upon the scene in horror. _What the fuck is going on? Are these people crazy? _He looked around to gauge the other peoples reactions, but it was too dark to see their expressions. "The crowns of their head that caress the dark clouds," he whipped the boy across the face with a cane Gilbert hadn't noticed he was carrying. "They smile as they dream of their mother's embrace." Another hit, the sound loud and sickening at the crack of what he hopped wasn't bone. "Ooh, the deformity!" He turned away as the boy fell to the ground, body now motionless. The light now centered back on the tall man, casting the broken body in shadows. "DEFORMITY!"

Gilbert waited for the disgusted remarks, waited for someone to jump up and scream at the man for the horrific injustice the boy was just subjected to, but it never came. He felt nearly about to throw up when the crowd erupted in applause, like they had just seen the most amazing act ever and not that a child might have been beaten to death. All he wanted to do was get away from this place, to run away and never look back, but he couldn't move. He could only sit and stare in horror, dreading what the next act may be.

He watched as the man disappeared into the darkness surrounding him, practically vanishing into thin air when he stepped out of the spotlight. It startled him when all the lights turned back on, the ring now completely illuminated. There was no trace of either the boy or the man. He didn't know what scared him more; the fact that they could have vanished so quickly, or that maybe all of this was in his head. He didn't know which one he would rather be true.

Just as quickly, the baritone voice was back, and Gilbert nearly jumped out of his skin to see the man standing back in the center of the ring like he had never disappeared in the first place. "All of the cast is jolly," He just watched as the tall man walked around the circle, swinging his cane about carelessly as he spoke. The ringmaster stopped for a moment, holding his cane in both hands as if thinking about something before he spoke. "Though, their forms are rather strange," a pause, "But its so fun at the Dark Woods Circus!" He let out a peal of laughter, the tent suddenly exploding with activity. Music began to play, light and cheery compared to the situation that had just gone down, but he couldn't find any band playing. The two people he saw in town had come out, joining the other man in the ring as they started juggling together. No, wait, were they? They were juggling with one arm each, skillfully tossing the ball between each other as they stood side by side. But something was…off about it. It looked more like they were…one…person…

The albino's eyes bugged as he leaned forward, looking at the two legs that held the twins up beneath the large striped pants, the two arms that moved and entertained with such grace as if they were born to do just that. And the two heads, no shoulders breaking the contact of the skin that stretched from one neck to the other, the collar of their outfit dipping low, exposing scars along their flesh.

He wanted to puke. _What the _fuck _is going on here? _He struggled to stand, to get away, but the more he struggled against whatever bonds tied him here, the less he could move. He couldn't even tear his eyes away at this point, just watching helplessly as the two continued their tricks while the crowd cheered. The boy on the left turned his head, lavender eyes meeting his own as Gilbert continued to struggle. A look of surprise flitted across his face, his movements faltering only for a moment, but it was enough to throw him off sync with his twin. The colorful objects they had been throwing fell to the ground, bouncing off in random directions as both boys threw an arm over their heads, cowering from the falling objects.

Laughter erupted from the crowd once more at the mistake, no one seeing the man walk right up to the twins. They continued to cower, and Gilbert realized that it wasn't the falling objects they were trying to protect themselves from, it was the ringmaster.

Gilbert struggled, wanting to help the other boy, feeling useless when he couldn't even stand as the man grabbed the lavender eyed boy by the throat. A mangled scream escaped the blonde him when the ringmaster placed his other hand over his eyes, the sound bloodcurdling as the smaller person tried to get away from the others grasp. Gilbert didn't know what he was doing to the boy, but he could see him writhing in pain as he was released, his hand clutching his face while his brother tried to comfort him.

"Well, as fun as that one was, its time to move on with the show!" The light changed again, hiding the jugglers in shadow as the spotlights guided everyone's attention to a different part of the tent. He didn't want to turn away from the boy, but despite his unwillingness his attention was drawn towards the light. A woman with beautiful, long blonde hair stood in front of a microphone, her voice a melody of chiming bells, beautiful and enchanting. He was so enthralled by the sound he almost didn't notice the way she stood. Her legs bent the wrong direction, her feet shifting as she sang.

No, not feet. Hooves. Her legs were that of an animals, the knees angling backwards like a goats. Now that he was really looking at her, he noticed the blue tinge to her skin, the blindfold over her eyes, and the sad melody she sang out. What had they done to her? It was obvious that she was once probably a beautiful woman, one who must have had the attention of all men around her, now something a person might label as a monstrosity. All of this was making him sick to his stomach.

Once she finished with her song she was ushered off stage, more applause from the crowd when she finished. The ringmaster all too readily brought up the next act, the spotlight moving somewhere near the center of the ring, illuminating a large boxy shape hidden by an equally large drape, it could almost be the size of a room. "Our next act is one quite intriguing, as few men have the open-mindedness as this particular act does." With a flourish the man pulled off the cover revealing a cage beneath, a tall blonde haired man with a straight jacket sitting on a chair in the middle, his legs lazily stretched out before him, too long to sit regularly. He watched with mild interest as a young girl was let in, her brown hair pulled back into pigtails, a squeaking metal cart following behind her. Both faces were devoid of emotion as she walked up to him, only his cold eyes watching her momentarily before they flitted to what she brought with her, a disturbing smile stretching across his face as she pulled it up in front of him. After a moment she reached over to the red stained sheet on the cart, pulling it away to reveal the mangled body of the blonde child he had seen earlier, his limbs dismembered and covered in red, lone eye staring lifelessly upward. Gilberts eyes widened as he saw the man lean forward after the girl left, locking the door behind her. Dipping his face among the different body parts he began to pick out pieces, his teeth starting to dig into the meatier parts of the dead boys flesh, blood streaking his face and soaking into the front of his jacket.

Gilbert could feel his body begin to tremble, the sight before him too much to handle. With shaky legs he stood, placing a hand over his mouth as he turned away, trying to keep the bile that was threatening to rise down. The other patrons paid him no mind, their eyes mesmerized by the show, like they were hypnotized. He struggled to keep his footing as he stumbled through the darkness of the tent, leaving back the way he came, the sounds coming from the cannibal growing more ravenous as seconds passed. It seemed to take him much longer to get out if the tent than it had to get in, and the fresh air hit him like a wall as he finally stepped outside. No longer able to hold it in he fell to his knees in the dewy grass, cold and clammy like the sweat that had broken out on his skin. He didn't bother trying to hide his face as he heaved, acid burning his throat as he emptied his stomach, coughing in between breaks. So caught up in his fit, he didn't even hear the footsteps that approached behind him.

"Did you not like my show?"

Gilbert nearly jumped out of his skin at the familiar voice, quickly turning, his body still shaking from the onslaught on both mental and physical exhaustion. Dread filled him at the sight of the displeased looking ringmaster, both hands resting on top of the cane in front of him, his gloved fingers flexing periodically.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? What the hell kind of place is this?" Gilbert spat, aware how vulnerable he was in his current position on the ground but unable to keep the venom out of his voice.

The mans dark chuckle sent shivers down his spine, "Oh you stupid, ignorant human, weren't you listening to anything that was said at the beginning of the show?" The ringmaster began to circle him, swinging his cane around like he had when he beat the child to death in the introduction. "This is a place for people who _have_ no place in the world. Who are looked at as monsters. Who have been looked down upon for being different because of who they are." he stopped to stand in front of him again, assuming the same position he had prior. "_People with red eyes and white hair_." Gilbert could feel the blood drain from his face as realization dawned upon him. "People like you."

That was all Gilbert needed to hear before he had broken into a dead run, struggling a bit while getting up from his spot on the grass, running straight for the trees that surrounded the establishment. He could hear no sound of pursuit as he made it into the forest, but he didn't stop. Branches whipped at his face and mangled roots made to trip him as ran, the darkness seeming to grow, to hide his way of escape.

_This can't be real. This can't be happening. _His lungs felt like they were going to explode. His mind felt like it had gone into overdrive.

Soon the trees felt like they were closing in on him, the branches no longer scraping at his face and catching his hair, but instead grabbing him, tearing at his clothes and limbs. He made it a few more feet before falling to the ground, having tripped over the trunk of a fallen tree, leaving him writhing on the mossy forest floor. Pain was everywhere, but he couldn't see around him, the darkness suffocating like a thick shroud. He knew he was bleeding, but his eyes still struggled to find a way out, to find some light in the black. He could feel it overtaking him, the dark leaking into his mind, trying to ease him out of consciousness, and he soon found himself giving in as his struggling began to wane.

The last thing he saw was a silhouette emerging in front of him, his body devoid of any light, making him even darker than the night around him.

"_Welcome, to the Dark Woods Circus._"

And then there was nothing.

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**Thank you for reading! I might continue this, as there is a whole other half of the song left, but I felt it was appropriate to end it right there, at least for that part. **

**If I do it will be as a second chapter, if I feel like it.**

**Anyways, thank you awesome readers  
**


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